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Washington, DC– Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) this week voted for H.R. 5485, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2017. This legislation funds the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and other agencies while making necessary reforms. This year’s funding is $1.5B below funding for Fiscal Year 2016 and $2.7B below the President’s request.

“This bill drastically improves accountability over the spending of taxpayer dollars and ensures funding is strategically prioritized,” said Congressman Guthrie. “With consistent misconduct by the IRS over the years as a glaring example, it is important that we continue to make reforms and improve oversight of these agencies.”

H.R. 5485 funds the IRS below Fiscal Year 2008 levels while investing more in customer service activities. To address recent transgressions, the bill prohibits the IRS from targeting individuals for exercising their First Amendment rights and groups based on their beliefs.

Under this bill, the CFPB—a government agency that is currently headed by a single person and operated without budgetary oversight—will be made more accountable by the creation of a 5-member commission to replace the lone director. The agency’s funding will also be brought under the annual appropriations process, as most other government agencies are, to ensure Congress can provide oversight of the agency’s use of taxpayers’ money. The CFPB has been central to the explosion of burdensome regulation under this Administration.  

“This bill provides an opportunity to increase congressional oversight of the Administration, including important reforms to curb and prevent IRS misconduct and abuse, to restrain the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality order and set-top box proposal, and to hold the CFPB accountable. Congress has a constitutional duty to place a check on the President, and this bill offers a number of provisions that would do just that,” added Congressman Guthrie.

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